Silver Days [Paperback]

Sonia Levitin (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

"Levitin does an outstanding job depicting life as it was for Jewish immigrants who came to the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. The book is written in an easy-to-read style which all types of readers can understand. This is one book that a reader will not be able to put down once it is begun".--Voice of Youth Advocates.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this affecting sequel to Journey to America , 13-year-old Lisa experiences the tribulations of growing up in 1940sstet New York City as a Jewish refugee. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-- This sequel to Levitin's Journey to America (Aladdin, 1986) , takes up exactly where the earlier book ended--in 1940, with the family reunited in New York City. In a first-person narration, Lisa, the middle daughter, tells the story of their "silver days" from 1940 to 1943, conveying the strength and spirit that enabled the family to not only survive being uprooted from their comfortable home in Germany, but also to make a new life for themselves. Much of the humor in the book comes from Lisa's father, a hard-working, energetic, and optimistic man. The girls' mother is a strong-willed woman who is almost undone by the death of her mother, who chose to stay in Germany. Lisa is also strongly influenced by her beautiful and intelligent older sister and a lively, sensitive younger sister. A move to California leads to more disruption but ultimately results in more economic security and a chance for Lisa to study dance seriously again. Because of the episodic nature of the story, readers get to know these people well, experiencing their highs and lows, and in the end can only wish them well. Although this book is a sequel, it can be read independently without any difficulty. --Amy Kellman, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (April 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689715706
• ISBN-13: 978-0689715709
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,038,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My life is mainly devoted to friends and family, my writing and my home. I enjoy hiking in the mountains, especially with my dogs. You can see their pics on my web page, and also pics of my family andfriends. I like to traveling to interesting places. I've been to Europe, parts of Asia, Hawaii, and many beautiful places in the U.S. My most exciting new project is working with a great team on creating a musical based on my novel The Return. We plan the premier in fall, 2006, and now we're casting and soon going into rehearsal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was one of the best that I have ever read., January 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Silver Days (Paperback)

I found this book in my local library, and I have enjoyed reading it over and over again. The Platt family is like many, going through tough times and trying to get over them. I found myself relating to Lisa many times during the story. I finished the whole book in two days. I just couldn't put it down. This is a must have for all young readers and should be in everyone's home library collection!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Silver Days, April 3, 2000

By 

G. Grieco - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silver Days (Paperback)

After the horrors of Nazi Germany, it seems a dream come true! The Platt family is together again, in America! But the dream is quickly overshadowed by the family's extreme poverty. Being a Jewish refugee during World War II is not easy, even in America. With strong german accents and barely enough money for food, every day is a strugle. ***Sequel to Journey to America***

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silver, not gold, February 22, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Silver Days (Paperback)

I think Silver Days by Sonia Levitin was a great book. It deserves five stars. I think it really shows how hard it was for Jewish people to get a decent living when they fled from Nazi Germany. This great novel is a sequel to Journey to America. This story starts out where Journey to America left off. Lisa Platt and her family were awaiting tickets for a boat to America from their father, who already was in America. They had to wait one year in Switzerland for the tickets. They reached America just as World War II was beginning in Europe. When they saw their apartment, all they had for furniture were orange crates and beds. During this period, they endure racial discrimination. They feel that in order to get away from this is to move to California. When they get a house there, their treatment is about the same, but they believe it is much better than New York. At school, Lisa gets back to dancing after five years, but her teacher, who people call "The Nazi", does not allow her to take the classes until she practices. After her teacher accepts her into her class, she becomes one of the best dancers in the school. Along the way, she and her older sister Ruth fall in love. When they receive a letter from their old maid, they find out that what they have been missing is faith. In the end they go back to their roots, beliefs, rituals and everything they did in Germany, even though they wanted to be as American as possible.